Package not arrived? Here's how to track it and prevent it next time
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
Track & Trace says delivered, but there's nothing there. This is how you trace a shipment, who to contact, what proof to keep, and how to pack so packages don't get lost.
The message almost always arrives at the same time: late in the afternoon, from a customer who remains polite but is clearly disappointed. "Track & Trace says delivered, but there's nothing here." At that moment, you don't know anything yet. The package could be with the neighbours, behind a fence, scanned incorrectly, or genuinely lost. The order in which you investigate determines how much time you spend — and whether your customer remains satisfied.
This article outlines the process: first, investigate, then report, and finally, the question that yields the most — how to reduce the chance of it happening again.
Read the status lines, not just the header
The summary at the top of a Track & Trace page ("Delivered") is the least informative part. The lines below tell the story. Pay attention to three things:
The time of the last scan. If there's a delivery scan at a time the recipient was demonstrably home, misdelivery is more likely than disappearance.
The location of the last scan. If a shipment remains stuck at the same sorting center for days, there's usually an issue with the label or the size.
Whether a signature or neighbor delivery was recorded. This is often the quickest explanation.
In the same email, ask the recipient to check three specific things: with the neighbours, around the back or at the shed, and the letterbox (for letterbox packages, it sometimes fits halfway, and the deliverer pulls it out again). That sounds trivial, but in practice, it resolves a significant portion of reports within a day.
Who do you contact?
That depends on who arranged the transport. The Dutch Consumers' Association explains that for a purchase in a webshop, you should first contact that webshop: they made the agreement with the carrier. As a seller, you are therefore your customer's point of contact, even if the error lies elsewhere in the chain. Referring them to the carrier is rarely a good answer.
The opposite is also true: if you are the sender, the carrier is your point of contact. Carriers have their own reporting page for this. PostNL describes on its customer service page what steps to take if a shipment with Track & Trace has not been delivered. What an investigation entails exactly and whether compensation is involved differs per carrier and per chosen service — check the conditions applicable to your contract before promising anything to your customer.
What you should have ready
A report is quicker if you include the data all at once. Gather beforehand:
The shipment code and the shipping date.
The complete delivery address as it appeared on the label, including any addition (house number additions are a classic source of misdelivery).
The contents and value of the shipment, plus a packing slip or invoice number.
A photo of the packaged parcel with the label on it, taken just before handover.
The proof of delivery from the drop-off point or collection round.
Points 4 and 5 are the two that most shippers skip and later miss the most. A photo of the sealed package with a readable label takes five seconds and is precisely the evidence requested in a dispute. Make it a routine action at the end of your packing line.
Packaging so a shipment doesn't get lost
Shipments rarely get lost because someone steals them. Much more often, something on the outside breaks during transit: the label tears, the box slides open, or a flimsy envelope gets stuck in a sorting machine. What helps with that:
A seam that comes open is the most common cause of "partially received" reports. Always tape the bottom as carefully as the top. A roll of KINZO packaging tape 50 meters x 48 mm (€3.00) will get you a long way; if you ship daily, the set of 6 tape rolls 48 x 66 mm (€21.00) is more practical because you'll never run out halfway through.
Visible if the package has been opened
In discussions about missing contents, it helps if you can show that the package left sealed. VOID security seals, 60 pieces (€9.95) leave a visible trace when removed. This is not a lock, but it is a clear signal — and it makes a report much more concrete.
Check the address when packing, not when printing. Addresses with an addition (A, bis, hs) require an extra look.
Never put tape over the barcode. Glare and creases make scanning more difficult; leave the label clear or use a label cover.
Photograph every shipment above a certain amount. One photo per package, with the label visible. Save them weekly in a folder.
What if the package is truly lost?
Don't wait for the customer to email a second time. Report the shipment to the carrier, let your customer know that an investigation is underway, and agree on a time when you will provide an update, even if there's no news yet. Where possible, offer a solution yourself — resend or refund — and then handle the claim with the carrier. Customers rarely remember that something went wrong; they do remember how long they had to wait for an answer.
Prepare what you need
A well-organized packing line saves you reports. Look for boxes and filling in Packaging & Shipping, for letterbox sizes in Letterbox Packaging, and for rolls and dispensers in Tape. Unsure which box size suits your product or how much to stock for the autumn? Feel free to email your dimensions and quantities to info@verpakkingdeals.nl, and we'll help you figure it out.
Sources: Consumentenbond, 'Package lost: what now?' (consumentenbond.nl) and PostNL Customer Service, 'Package or mail with track & trace not delivered' (postnl.nl). Conditions and procedures vary per carrier and service; always consult the terms and conditions applicable to your shipment.
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